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Author
Topic: AMG 2008 Attendance / Mexico City (Read 26513 times)

Please post below if you plan on attending AMG 2008 in Mexico City. It would also be helpful in contract negotiations with the hotels if you could also include your proposed arrival and departure date. The official dates this year is August 7th - 12th.

Thom and I are planning to arrive on Aug 7th and departing on Aug 12 (dates subject to be increased). We may have to alter our plans due to a planned litter of pups Miss Tucker may present us with around that same time frame.

Well unfortunately I will not be attending this year due to timing. I had to put in my vacation request by the end of January, and not knowing when AMG was going to be I had put in my request for June, and decided that I would go to Thailand with my partner. I hope everyone who goes a good time. I still think about the good time we all had in Toronto, Ontario CAN, and hope to see you all again someday. Well maybe next year I will attend again.

I didn't think I was going to be able to attend AMG this year due to a big trip Damn Fool and I had been planning for nearly a year. Unfortunately that trip had to be put off.

But on the bright side it means I'll be coming to MC.

I don't speak a lick of Spanish.

I hate Corona.

Tequila makes me sick.

So, why go to MC?

Well, to see old friends and make new ones of course. (That and a certain goat farmer I'm sort of fond of threatened me with bodily harm if I didn't show up! I'm convinced she was dead serious about it too! She scares me! )

So good you will be coming to Mexico dearest friend RAB...I see you booked your flights, did we decide that it would be the 7th of August? I see Dennis was saying he could not get the Holiday Inn and Allan mentioned possibly going the following week. I don't want you to be all alone in Mexico with the rest of us coming a week later!!!

Jody

Logged

"Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world". "Try to discover that you are the song that the morning brings."

I don't want you to be all alone in Mexico with the rest of us coming a week later!!!

I was worried about that too Jody, but if we need/have to change the dates then you won't be on your own because I will have to hang around until everyone gets there too..the question is could you cope with me on your own if you had to..

I think we need to get this sorted out one way or another, and quick, I know some have bought their tickets already, although Rab tells me he can change his (hopefully) if he has to, but will need to do it as soon as possible, also would it be possible for those who have already booked their holiday time from work be able to change it?

Feed back on this is important so if you can, please let us know what you think, we need to get this sorted out ASAP so we can go ahead and book flights and holidays...and to help Dennis out with the hotel bookings.

Hopefully Dennis will have some news for us before the week is out.

Quote

Well, to see old friends and make new ones of course. (That and a certain goat farmer I'm sort of fond of threatened me with bodily harm if I didn't show up! I'm convinced she was dead serious about it too!

As to adjusting the dates... we're flexible (David, Bonnie, and I). I'd rather us make some changes now and have a decent hotel. On another note, I'm glad to see RAB has decided to grace us with his presence! Even better, he'll be joining us in M.C!

Mini and I are pretty flexible, too. We just need to know so we can book our flight and make provisions for the rest of the family. What about starting it on the Tuesday (12th) just after the big conference is over? I know that everyone is working very hard to make this happen and I'm so greatful for all of it.

I know it's 5 months away and still plenty enough time to settle things--but some need to make plans to get time off of work and yet some have already purchased flight tickets. May I suggest that we confirm our dates and hotel by the end of the month of March.

I agree we should get a date sorted out as soon as we can, but I know how hard it must be for Dennis in regards to the hotels because of the IAC, I have tried to google a few hotels and it's not easy trying to find one that can offer us the rooms we need.

Remember he is trying to deal with hotels via e-mails, and I'm sure he is trying to get us the best prices possible, but we may have to settle for a hotel that is a little more expensive than the ones we have been looking at so far.

I'm sure things will be worked out well before the end of the month if we can get all those who are going to MC to give us some feed back and their thoughts on this.

First suggestion...To start the AMG on Saturday the 9th of August (the IAC finishes up on Friday the 8th) to the 13/14th (Wednesday/Thursday) of August.

OR

Second suggestion...To start the AMG from the 13/14th (Wednesday/Thursday) to the 18/19th (Monday/Tuesday)

Hi Philly I put up these two dates a while back to give the guys a choice, I think the first date was chosen because a lot of the guys were hoping that maybe Tim and Andy would be able to attend the AMG for a couple of days.

I'ts obvious the first dates are proving a bit of a head ache for Dennis..I'm hoping we will hear from him soon so we can move forward and have a better chance of getting a hotal booked...some of the guys need to know ASAP so they can change their tickets if need be.

If anyone know how to get in touch with Dennis maybe you can let him know, I don't know how often he can check in with us all, but I do know he is doing his best trying to find a hotel for us.

By no means am I trying to hijack this thread but in case dates and hotels continue to be difficult to coordinate and if other dates are considered just remember the POZ cruise is October 26 – November 2, 2008. Room and food included in cost and according to the FAQ section on the website passport is the preferred document for U.S. citizens however your original state issued birth certificate with a raised seal along with with a photo ID is perfectly acceptable.

I am checking in and even posted an update yesterday. I also posted on February 21st in the following threadhttp://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=19031.msg244358#msg244358stating the conference was posing an issue with room availability. I requested everyone to please "do their homework" and research hotels and post accordingly. Not one person posted a hotel suggestion past that date.

We went through this same scenario last year. This is YOUR gathering. The group voted on the dates and destination and that is what I am working with.

No further polls will be conducted regarding destination or dates. If I cannot secure a hotel by the end of the week then I will begin working to secure accomodations for the following week.

I have been checking on hotels but because there has been nothing available from the hotels I checked I didn't post anything about them..and I'm not sure about the location we want either...but I am looking..

I will set aside some time today, (probably this evening when I have more time) so I can go in and have a look at the other dates mentioned and get back to you.

I know I sound like I'm nagging..(but what the hell I'm a women it's what we do best... )..but as Dennis so rightly pointed out this is our gathering so we have to get involved he can't do this on his own, I know a lot of you are busy and there are never enough hours in the day but we have to work on this as a group..so lets get together and make this happen.

..but as Dennis so rightly pointed out this is our gathering so we have to get involved he can't do this on his own, . . . . but we have to work on this as a group..so lets get together and make this happen.

As I said above, I think we're going to be fine. Finding a hotel is always one of the biggest challenges we face in these gatherings. But for 3 years now we've made it happen, and I know we'll be able to do it again this year.

RAB

(Who still doesn't speak a lick of Spanish, but might lick one if given the chance! )

EDIT TO ADD: FOR SOME REASON THE LINKS TO THE HOTELS IN ZONA ROSA DON'T WORK. SORRY

The only hotel I really got the chance to look at tonight was the Marco Polo (Ademas mentioned it in another thread) as far as I could see they had vacancies from the 12th and room rates were at $75 per night..not sure if this helps, I'm really not good at checking things up on the net...mainly because I don't know where we want to stay.

Jan, although the initial preference was to situate ourselves in the Zona Rosa sector (predominately gay area), I believe at this point that a shift in neighborhoods will not matter as long we can secure a hotel to accommodate the group.

Should we have to adjust the time frame to the following week (of Aug. 13-20) than I would presume many of the hotels that were disqualified due to lack of rooms would be reconsidered. Like, for instance, the Cristina Maria, Marco Polo and others located in the Zona Rosa.

I, likewise, would have to rebook my flights and pay penalties and although this is unfortunate I understand that it may be unavoidable as the availability of hotels from Aug 6-13 is scarce. Who knew.

I am checking in and even posted an update yesterday. I also posted on February 21st in the following threadhttp://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=19031.msg244358#msg244358stating the conference was posing an issue with room availability. I requested everyone to please "do their homework" and research hotels and post accordingly. Not one person posted a hotel suggestion past that date.

Dennis,

Speaking for myself and Jeromy (and I assume a few others) we voted in the hotel poll when it was open and we were willing to go along with whatever won or was decided was best either due to cost, location or overall preference. I honestly wasn't aware of the conference/room availability issue until just the other day.

Our apologies if you needed us to be more active - we just have no knowledge of MC and didn't want to start making suggestions based off of google and add to your burden.

We will be happy with whatever you (or anyone else who has a knowledge of MC) can find and have faith in your efforts and abilities.

I'm going to throw out a suggestion here. So far, it appears I'll attend the conference and that started me thinking. First, it's possible that some of the larger groups booked blocks of rooms that may or may not be used. And, it's also possible, not necessarily probable, but possible that people who are already booked to go on behalf of ASOs, drug companies and the like, would consider bunking with a colleague in order to free up a room for two AMG attendees.

Some of us know people who are likely going and it wouldn't hurt to ask if in fact they are; if their group or firm's booked a block of rooms, if they'd be willing to take on a roomie, or buddy up with a colleague, etc.

I don't know what the AMG count is at present, but armed with whatever that total is plus a buffer of those still deciding plus a couple more, then why not call the IAC organizers and see if they can add to our knowledge? Whoever is handling hotel information might prove to be very helpful. Please forgive me if this was suggested in this or any other thread as I've not been tracking the room availability issue. And, I'm not going to research the thread to see if it was.

Is starting on the 7th a good idea? The conference ends on the 8th, isn't getting rooms on the 7th going to be a problem?

I like Em's suggestion. I don't know who the hotel coordinator for the conference, but I assume they would be nice enough to give us a few pointers. There may be an email link on the website.

Another option is that we break tradition and not all stay in the same hotel. I know that means we don't get a group discount, but maybe if we are all in the same area, with responsibility for booking hotel rooms falling to each participant, that will work just as fine. But given there is limited rooms available, I'm not sure how feasible this option is. Another option is to go somewhere on the outskirts of city, where the hotels are likely to be more plentiful and cheaper (though not sure with the conference in town). Maybe even staying near the airport or the business district. You can always find plenty of hotels near an airport in downtown (though usually more expensive in downtown compared to the airport). Not an ideal option for sure, but it is one nevertheless.

Another option is that we break tradition and not all stay in the same hotel. I know that means we don't get a group discount, but maybe if we are all in the same area, with responsibility for booking hotel rooms falling to each participant, that will work just as fine. But given there is limited rooms available, I'm not sure how feasible this option is.

I think this idea from Cliff is worth exploring if we are stuck at the moment. I agree that it is not ideal, but it may turn out to be the most feasible.

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